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47k | Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven was born 11 January 1813 in Portsmouth, N.H., and appointed midshipman 2 February 1829. He served with distinction in the Mexican War and commanded the Atrato Expedition in 1857 which surveyed the Isthmus of Darien. In 1860 he was presented with a gold medal and diploma by Queen Isabella II of Spain for the rescue of the crew of a Spanish merchant vessel. In the Battle of Mobile Bay, 5 August 1864, Commander Craven commanded Tecumseh, which was struck by a torpedo while leading the attack. The vessel sank almost immediately carrying with her Commander Craven who had drawn back, giving his life to permit his pilot to escape through the narrow opening in the turret tower. | Bill Gonyo |
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143k | Photo #: NH 78706, USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) ship's boilers under construction in the Erecting Shop at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 15 May 1917. Note flags on display. Craven was not laid down until 20 December 1917. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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140k | Photo #: NH 78700, USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) under construction at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 11 December 1917. View looks forward from over the stern and shows framing and bulkheads in place. Her keel was laid on 20 November 1917, and she was launched on 29 June 1918. | Paul Rebold |
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127k | USS Craven (Destroyer # 70), a view on the main deck aft from amidships, while she was under construction at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 4 June 1918. Note Freight Lighter # 53 (later YF-53) in the centre distance. U.S. Naval Historical Centre Photo # NH 78695. | Robert Hurst |
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63k | Photo #: NH 97968, USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, circa late 1918. Note the ship's number painted on her pilothouse face. Collection of Rear Admiral Bradford Bartlett, USN. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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154k | Photo #: NH 78694, USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) view on the main deck looking forward on the starboard side amidships, while she was under construction at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 4 June 1918. Her keel was laid on 20 November 1917, and she was launched on 29 June 1918. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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101k | Photo #: NH 78695, USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) view on the main deck looking aft from amidships, while she was under construction at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 4 June 1918. Her keel was laid on 20 November 1917 and she was launched on 29 June 1918. Note Freight Lighter # 53 in the center background. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Paul Rebold |
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194k | USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) Ready for launching, at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 29 June 1918. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
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102k | USS Craven (Destroyer # 70) Ready for launching, at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on 29 June 1918. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
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77k | Photo #: 19-N-16455 USS Craven (DD-70) photographed on 1 November 1918 by the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia. Note her "dazzle" camouflage scheme. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives. | - |
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110k | USS Craven (DD-70) Dressed with flags, circa late 1918, possibly in celebration of the 11 November 1918 Armistice. Note her "dazzle" camouflage. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
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91k | Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania: Warships in the Reserve Basin, 18 November 1919, as seen by a Philadelphia Evening Ledger photographer. Ships are (from left to right): USS Wisconsin (Battleship # 9); USS Illinois (Battleship # 7); USS Alabama (Battleship # 8); a Pittsburgh class armored cruiser; two battleships, probably Connecticut class; USS Stringham (Destroyer # 83); USS Craven (Destroyer # 70); USS Maury (Destroyer # 100); and USS Sigourney (Destroyer # 81). U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. | Fred Weiss |
On British Service
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HMS Lewes (ex-USS Conway, ex-USS Craven, DD-70) Lewes arrived at Devonport on 17 November 1940 for refit which lasted until 28 March 1941, like HMS Leeds a symptom of her age and early design. She also had the misfortune to be bombed during an air raid on Devonport on 22 April 1941, while still in the yard, so that she did not finally enter service with Rosyth Command until February 1942, the last 'Town' to become fully operational. After only ten months of escort work on the East Coast, Lewes refitted on the Humber as an air target ship until March 1943, whereon she was ordered to join the South Atlantic Command based at Capetown, South Africa. She went out with troop convoy WS29, and other than for one inexplicable passage to Casablanca and back in Jan/Feb 1944, remained on station in the target role. In August 1945, the East Indies Fleet having at last attained a reasonable carrier strength and local Air Stations, the need arose for an air target ship in Ceylon. Lewes was duly ordered East to her new station, where she
actually saw operational service, being used for escort to at least one supply convoy from Ceylon to Addu Atoll in September 1944. In 1945, the needs of war caused yet another move further east. The newly formed British Pacific Fleet had set up training Air Stations in Australia, and Lewes was ordered to Sydney, NSW, to operate as a target for them. She duly sailed from Trincomalee to Fremantle escorting the destroyer depot ship HMS Tyne, and then went onward to ner new post where she served out the war. The old ship outlived all her sisters in British service, not paying off until November 1945 at Sydney where nominally passed to BISCo for disposal, she was stripped of valuable scrap and the hull scuttled off Sydney on 25 May 1946. (History thanks to Robert Hurst.) |
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50k | The 'Town' class - Group 1 destroyer HMS Lewes (ex-USS Craven,
ex-USS Conway) underway sometime in 1942, location unknown. RN Official photo. | Robert Hurst |
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77k | HMS Lewes (G.68) underway in Plymouth Sound, England December 21 1941. Photo taken by unknown Royal Navy official photographer. Photo # FL 3259 from the collections of the Imperial War Museum. | Robert Hurst |
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75k | The 'Town' class destroyer HMS Lewes (ex-USS Conway, ex-USS Craven, DD-70) underway whilst on East Coast convoy duty circa 1942 (Admiralty Official). | Robert Hurst |
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60k | The 'Town' class destroyer HMS Lewes (ex-USS Conway, ex-USS Craven, DD-70) underway whilst on East Coast convoy duty circa 1942 (Admiralty Official). | Robert Hurst |
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72k | As the HMS Lewes, October 1942 while serving with Rosyth Escort Force (Admiralty Official).. | LT(SCC) Mark Reeves RNR |